ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe adverse events following vaccination (AEFV) of children under two years old and analyze trend of this events from 2000 to 2013, in the city of Araraquara (SP), Brazil. METHODS This is a descriptive study conducted with data of the passive surveillance system of AEFV that is available in the electronic immunization registry (EIR) of the computerized medical record of the municipal health service (Juarez System). The study variables were: age, gender, vaccine, dose, clinical manifestations and hospitalization. We estimated rates using AEFV as numerator and administered doses of vaccines as denominator. The surveillance sensitivity was estimated by applying the method proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We used Prais-Winsten regression with a significance level of 5.0%. RESULTS The average annual rate of AEFV was 11.3/10,000 administered doses, however without a trend in the study period (p=0.491). Most cases occurred after the first dose (41.7%) and among children under one year of age (72.6%). Vaccines with pertussis component, yellow fever and measles-mumps-rubella were the most reactogenic. We highlighted the rates of hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes and convulsion that were 4.1/10,000 and 1.5/10,000 doses of vaccines with pertussis component, respectively, most frequently in the first dose; 60,0% of cases presented symptoms in the first 24 hours after vaccination, however, 18.6% showed after 96 hours. The sensitivity of surveillance was 71.9% and 78.9% for hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes and convulsion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The EIR-based AEFV surveillance system proved to be useful and highly sensitive to describe the safety profile of vaccines in a medium-sized city. It was also shown that the significant increase of the vaccines included in the basic vaccination schedule in childhood in the last decade did not alter the high safety standard of the National Immunization Program.

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe adverse events following vaccination (AEFV) of children under two years old and analyze trend of this events from 2000 to 2013, in the city of Araraquara (SP), Brazil. METHODS This is a descriptive study conducted with data of the passive surveillance system of AEFV that is available in the electronic immunization registry (EIR) of the computerized medical record of the municipal health service (Juarez System). The study variables were: age, gender, vaccine, dose, clinical manifestations and hospitalization. We estimated rates using AEFV as numerator and administered doses of vaccines as denominator. The surveillance sensitivity was estimated by applying the method proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We used Prais-Winsten regression with a significance level of 5.0%. RESULTS The average annual rate of AEFV was 11.3/10,000 administered doses, however without a trend in the study period (p=0.491). Most cases occurred after the first dose (41.7%) and among children under one year of age (72.6%). Vaccines with pertussis component, yellow fever and measles-mumps-rubella were the most reactogenic. We highlighted the rates of hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes and convulsion that were 4.1/10,000 and 1.5/10,000 doses of vaccines with pertussis component, respectively, most frequently in the first dose; 60,0% of cases presented symptoms in the first 24 hours after vaccination, however, 18.6% showed after 96 hours. The sensitivity of surveillance was 71.9% and 78.9% for hypotonic-hyporesponsive episodes and convulsion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The EIR-based AEFV surveillance system proved to be useful and highly sensitive to describe the safety profile of vaccines in a medium-sized city. It was also shown that the significant increase of the vaccines included in the basic vaccination schedule in childhood in the last decade did not alter the high safety standard of the National Immunization Program.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of the application of the human amniotic membrane (HAM) on the inflammatory process, fibroblast proliferation, formation of collagenand reduction of skin wound areas in rats. Methods: Thirty six rats were submitted to a surgical injury induction and divided into two groups (n = 18): group C (control) and T (treated with the HAM). The macroscopic evolution in the wound area and the histological characteristics of the skin samples were evaluated. Results: The regression of the wound area was greater in group T. The histological analysis revealed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the inflammatory infiltrate in group T at all experimental periods compared with that in the control group. Furthermore, the group T presented a significant increase in the proliferation of fibroblasts at 14 and 21 days compared with group C (p < 0.05). Regarding the deposition of mature collagen fibers, there was an increase in the replacement of type III collagen by type I collagen in group T (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Treatment with the HAM reduced the healing time as well as the inflammatory responses, increased the proliferation of fibroblasts, and induced a higher concentration of mature collagen fibers.

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the effect of human amniotic membrane (hAM) fragment on inflammatory response, proliferation of fibroblast and organization of collagen fibers in injured tendon. Methods: Sixty rats were divided into 3 groups: C - surgical procedures without tendon lesion and with simulation of hAM application; I - surgical procedures, tendon injury and simulation of hAM application; T - surgical procedures, tendon injury and hAM application. These groups were subdivided into four experimental times (3, 7, 14 and 28 days). The samples underwent histological analysis and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Results: Histological analysis at 14 days, the T group showed collagen fibers with better alignment. At 28 days, the I group presented the characteristics described for the T group at 14 days, while this group presented aspects of a mature connective tissue. FT-IR analysis showed a clear distinction among the three groups at all experimental times and groups T and I presented more similarities to each other than to group C. Conclusion: Acute injury of tendon treated with human amniotic membrane fragment showed a faster healing process, reduction in inflammatory response, intense proliferation of fibroblasts and organization of collagen fibers.

Introduction: Nasal obstruction is a common problem in Portugal. It can have negative influences on quality of life and repercussions for family dynamics. It has several causes. Among them is concha bullosa. The objectives of this article are to describe a case of giant concha bullosa and to summarize the approach to the patient with nasal obstruction in primary care. Case description: A 50 year-old woman presented to a hospital emergency department because a blocked right ear. She had experienced chronic bilateral nasal obstruction, snoring and headaches. Right serous otitis media was diagnosed and the middle nasal turbinate was found to extend to the nasal vestibule. There were abundant secretions and adenoid hypertrophy was found on nasal endoscopy. She was treated with corticosteroids and decongestants and referred for otolaryngology consultation. Pharyngeal biopsy was not diagnostic. Computed tomography showed the existence of a right-sided giant concha bullosa. Surgery was performed with resolution of nasal obstruction, relief of headache, and improvement of snoring. Comment: Some patients may present complaints initially to the hospital emergency department. However it is important to stress the role of the family physician as health care provider and case manager. The initial history and physical examination are important in the investigation of complains of nasal obstruction. ‘Red flags' must be investigated. If any of these are present or if there is an unsatisfactory response to medical therapy, the patient must be referred for specialist consultation. In this case, the evidence of unilateral serous otitis media required investigation for the exclusion of nasopharyngeal cancer. Anatomical variants are potentially curable causes of nasal obstruction and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent nasal obstruction.

Introduction: The distortion of the sense of taste (dysgeusia), transient or permanent, may have significant impact on the lives of patients. It may be associated with weight loss, anorexia, malnutrition, depressive symptoms, and a significant reduction in quality of life. Dysgeusia can have several causes. One surgical cause is tonsillectomy. Case description: A 38 year-old female patient, with dysgeusia is presented. She had a history of bilateral chronic tonsillitis and a cold blade tonsillectomy was performed with electrocautery of tonsillar hemorrhages without complications. After surgery she complained of dysgeusia characterized by lack of taste discrimination, stating that all foods seemed bitter. Six months after surgery, at a follow-up consultation, her gustatory function was evaluated with taste strips. This revealed changes in taste discrimination. She experienced a bitter taste, even when stimulated with sour, sweet or salty stimuli. The patient began daily gustatory rehabilitation, working on mental associations with sensory stimuli. She repeated the gustometry one year after surgery. The patient improved, although selective dysgeusia persisted with a bitter sensation in the presence of salt at low concentration. Comment: Dysgeusia is a rare complication of tonsillectomy, but can have great impact on the lives of patients. The surgical procedure can damage sensory nerves responsible for taste, directly or indirectly. There are few therapeutic options. Cases are under reported in the literature, and tend to be benign. Dysgeusia can have various causes, such as antihypertensive drugs, poor oral hygiene, surgery, infection, smoking, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, anti-microbial agents, and anti-inflammatory drugs. In primary health care, taste complaints often have no obvious explanation at the initial presentation. In Portugal there is no data on their incidence. It is important to sensitize clinicians to this disease. Patients' complaints about changes in taste should be addressed because of the impact that it has on the quality of life and possible treatable causes. Patients with dysgeusia require assessment, advice and treatment.

Abstract An updated inventory of Brazilian seed plants is presented and offers important insights into the country's biodiversity. This work started in 2010, with the publication of the Plants and Fungi Catalogue, and has been updated since by more than 430 specialists working online. Brazil is home to 32,086 native Angiosperms and 23 native Gymnosperms, showing an increase of 3% in its species richness in relation to 2010. The Amazon Rainforest is the richest Brazilian biome for Gymnosperms, while the Atlantic Rainforest is the richest one for Angiosperms. There was a considerable increment in the number of species and endemism rates for biomes, except for the Amazon that showed a decrease of 2.5% of recorded endemics. However, well over half of Brazillian seed plant species (57.4%) is endemic to this territory. The proportion of life-forms varies among different biomes: trees are more expressive in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes while herbs predominate in the Pampa, and lianas are more expressive in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest, and Pantanal. This compilation serves not only to quantify Brazilian biodiversity, but also to highlight areas where there information is lacking and to provide a framework for the challenge faced in conserving Brazil's unique and diverse flora.

The objective of this study was to verify the incidence of phlebitis in a clinical medical unit. A prospective cohort study was conducted using nonparticipatory observations guided by a structured questionnaire, with 100 patients admitted to the clinical medical unit, in whom 234 peripheral venous accesses were used. Phlebitis was identified in 60% of patients and in 55.6% of the peripheral venous accesses, and most of them remained intact for more than 72 hours (53%). The presence of phlebitis per patient was associated with longer hospitalization on the clinical unit (p=0.002) and a greater number of accesses per patient (p<0.001). Length of retention of venous access for more than 72 hours was also associated with the presence of phlebitis (p<0.001). Phlebitis occurred in the majority of the patients and peripheral venous accesses analyzed. Therefore, it is necessary to intensify the training protocols for nursing staff in order to reduce the rates of phlebitis.

PURPOSE: To analyze the time between the first symptom and treatment in patients treated for breast cancer in public hospitals in the Federal District. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis. We interviewed 250 women diagnosed with breast cancer treated in six hospitals of the State Department of Health of the Federal District from November 2009 to January 2011. The time intervals studied were the time between the detection of the symptoms and treatment subdivided into intervals until and after the first medical appointment. The variables were: age, menopausal status, color, educational level, average monthly household income, origin, reason for the initial consultation, staging, tumor size, laterality, metastasis to axillary lymph nodes, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and type of surgery. The Mann-Whtney test was used to assess the association of these variables with the time intervals until treatment. RESULTS: The mean age was 52 years, with a predominance of white women (57.6%), from the Federal District (62.4%), with a family income of up to 2 minimum wages (78%), and up to four years of schooling (52.4%). The staging of the disease ranged from II to IV in 78.8% of the women. The time between the first symptom and treatment was 229 days (median). After detection of the first symptom, 52.9% of the women attended a consultation within 30 days and 88.8% took more than 90 days to start treatment. Women with elementary school education had a greater delay to the start of treatment (p=0.049). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant delay to start treatment of women with breast cancer in public hospitals of the Federal District, suggesting that efforts should be made to reduce the time needed to schedule medical appointments and to diagnose and treat these patients.

This study evaluated the influence of coat color on the heat tolerance and performance of 21 Santa Inês lambs, non-pregnant, non-lactating, seven animals of each coat color: black, brown and white, with an average initial weight of 25.71, 24.85 and 25.00 kg, for white, brown and black animals, respectively, and 12 months of age. The study was conducted during summer in the agreste region of Pernambuco State, Brazil. Twenty-one sheeps were assigned to a completely randomized design with three treatments and seven replicates. The heat tolerance index and the animal performance were evaluated once a week for eight weeks. White sheep were slightly superior in heat tolerance to brown and black sheep, 88.3, 85.5 and 86.6 respectively, but this was not reflected in the growth performance of the animals, which showed average daily weight gain of 170.10, 193.69 and 199.50 g for animals white, brown and black, respectively.

The objective of this study is to analyze the spatial distribution of neonatal mortality and its correlation with the biological and socioeconomic factors and maternal and child health care in the Brazilian states in the period from 2006 to 2010. Thematic and correlation (LISA) maps were created for verification of spatial dependence as well as multiple linear regression models. It was found that there is no specific spatial correlation for neonatal mortality in the Brazilian states (R = 0.002, p = 0.48). The majority of the variables were correlated (r > 0.3, p < 0.05) with neonatal mortality, forming clusters in the North and Northeast, with higher rates for teenage mothers, low household income per capita, lower prenatal consultations and less Neonatal Intensive Care Unit beds. The number of Neonatal ICU beds maintained an independent effect after regression analysis. The conclusion reached was that regional inequalities in living conditions and especially access to maternal and child health contribute to the unequal distribution of neonatal mortality in Brazil.

Low birth weight (LBW) is a risk factor for neonatal and infant morbidity and mortality. In Brazil the highest percentages of low birth weight occur in regions of higher socio-economic status. The scope of this article is to ascertain the spatial distribution of low birth weight rates and the correlation with social and service indicators. The scale is ecological taking all the Brazilian states as units of analysis. The spatial analysis technique is the methodology used together with data from SINASC, IPEA and IBGE for 2009. Higher rates of low birth weight are found in the south/southeastern states (Global Moran: 0.267, p = 0.02). Clusters of the high-high type in the Southeast and of the low-low variety in states in the Amazon region are detected. The spatial inequality of low birth weight reflects the socio-economic conditions of the states. More developed regions have higher rates of low birth weight, therefore, the presence of the service and its use decrease infant mortality and increase LBW.

Low birth weight (LBW) is a risk factor for neonatal and infant morbidity and mortality. In Brazil the highest percentages of low birth weight occur in regions of higher socio-economic status. The scope of this article is to ascertain the spatial distribution of low birth weight rates and the correlation with social and service indicators. The scale is ecological taking all the Brazilian states as units of analysis. The spatial analysis technique is the methodology used together with data from SINASC, IPEA and IBGE for 2009. Higher rates of low birth weight are found in the south/southeastern states (Global Moran: 0.267, p = 0.02). Clusters of the high-high type in the Southeast and of the low-low variety in states in the Amazon region are detected. The spatial inequality of low birth weight reflects the socio-economic conditions of the states. More developed regions have higher rates of low birth weight, therefore, the presence of the service and its use decrease infant mortality and increase LBW.

The objective of this study is to analyze the spatial distribution of neonatal mortality and its correlation with the biological and socioeconomic factors and maternal and child health care in the Brazilian states in the period from 2006 to 2010. Thematic and correlation (LISA) maps were created for verification of spatial dependence as well as multiple linear regression models. It was found that there is no specific spatial correlation for neonatal mortality in the Brazilian states (R = 0.002, p = 0.48). The majority of the variables were correlated (r > 0.3, p < 0.05) with neonatal mortality, forming clusters in the North and Northeast, with higher rates for teenage mothers, low household income per capita, lower prenatal consultations and less Neonatal Intensive Care Unit beds. The number of Neonatal ICU beds maintained an independent effect after regression analysis. The conclusion reached was that regional inequalities in living conditions and especially access to maternal and child health contribute to the unequal distribution of neonatal mortality in Brazil.

This study investigated the sero-conversion period in which dogs from endemic areas test positive for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as well as the early post-infection period in which renal alterations are observed. Dogs that were initially negative for Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) were clinically evaluated every three months by serological, parasitological and biochemical tests until sero-conversion was confirmed, and six months later a subsequent evaluation was performed. Samples of kidney tissues were processed and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) and Masson’s trichrome stain and lesions were classified based on the WHO criteria. Of the 40 dogs that initially tested negative for VL, 25 (62.5%) exhibited positive serological tests during the study period. Of these 25 dogs, 15 (60%) tested positive within three months, five (20%) tested positive within six months and five (20%) tested positive within nine months. The dogs exhibited antibody titers between 1:40 and 1:80 and 72% of the dogs exhibited clinical symptoms. The Leishmania antigen was present in the kidneys of recently infected dogs. We found higher levels of total protein and globulin as well as lower levels of albumin in the infected dogs when compared to the control dogs. Additionally, infected dogs presented levels of urea and creatinine that were higher than those of the uninfected dogs. Glomerulonephritis was detected in some of the dogs examined in this study. These data suggest that in Teresina, the sero-conversion for VL occurs quickly and showed that the infected dogs presented abnormal serum proteins, as well as structural and functional alterations in the kidneys during the early post-infection period.